Automatic pipe-coupling for cars.



F; HJHARPSTER.

' AUTOMATIC PIPE GOUPLING'POR CARS.

Patented Fb.22,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

unmdfigm L APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1909.

mlllll I f MEMO 51111.52" for,

F.'H. HARPSTER.

AUTOMATIC PIPE GOUPLINGFOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1909.

950,263. I Patented Feb.22, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

T FTQ AUTOMATIC PIPE-COUPLING FOR CARS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED H. HARPSTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hazleton, county of Luzerne, and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Pipe-Couplings for Cars, of which the following is a-specification.

My invention relates to pipe couplings and particularly to pipecouplings for automatically connecting the steam and compressed airtrain pipes.

The objecto-f my invention is to provide a coupling for train pipeswhich shall be arranged upon'the ends of the cars and automaticallycouple the train pipes as the cars are coupled.

The further object of my invention is to provide a coupling as mentionedwhich shall be sufliciently flexible to permit relative movement of thecars, as in rounding curves, without straining the coupling or the train1pes.

The further and particular object of my invention is to provide anautomatic train pipe coupling which shall operate to open the pipes forfree passage of the steam or air when the parts areconnected and toclose the same when the parts are separated so as to throw on thebrakes. gradually,

thereby avoiding the shocks and strains incident to throwing on thebrakes suddenly. Other objects will appear hereinafter.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which,

Figure 1 is the longitudinal section through a pipe coupling embodyingmy in- ,Vention in its preferred form, Fig. 2 is a similar View with theparts disconnected, Fig. 3

is a longitudinal section through the socket portion of amodified formof coupler, Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the same on the line aa-wof Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic bottom plan View of the adjacentends of two cars equipped with train pipe couplings embodying myinvention.

The coupling embodying my invention consists generally in a. ball memberand a socket member adapted to be arranged upon the adjacent ends of thecars and connected to the ends of the train pipes which are arrangedbeneath the respective cars, means for'forming an air or steam tightjoint between said members and yieldable or cush- Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed May 26, 1909.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

Serial No. 498,385.

'- ioning members for holding the ball and socket members together. Thesocket member is provided with a conical guide for directing the ballinto the socket as the cars are coupled, and both the ball and thesocket members are provided with valve seats and valves for closing theends of the pipes when the members are separated, each valve beingprovided with a spring for pressing the same outwardly against the valveseat, and also provided with outwardly projecting lugs or pins the endsof which are adapted to engage and unseat the valves when the membersare coupled. Each of the valves is provided with a small exhaust portwhich permits the air to escape slowly after the valves are 'closedsothat should the cars become accidentally separated or uncoupled thebrakes will notbe thrown on suddenly but will be applied graduallybringing the car or cars to a stop without shock or jar. The ball andsocket members are connected to the respective train pipes by flexiblejoints as will be fully described hereinafter.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 5, 1 and 2indicate the adj acent ends of two cars, and 3 the usual car coupling.Arranged beneath the cars are the usual compressed air and steam pipes 4and 5 respectively. 6 and 7 indicate the socket and the ball membersrespectively of the pipe couplings which are secured to the outer endsof short pipes 8 and 9 respectively which extend freely through members10 secured beneath the cars. Springs 11 interposed between the couplingmembers and the respective members 10 hold the coupling members firmlytogether and also cushion the same when being coupled. The pipes 8 and 9lie substantially parallel with the tram pipes, and their inner ends areconnected to the ends of said train pipes by short pipe sections 12 andthe flexible joints 13. It is obvious that with the ball and socketjoint 6-7, the springs 11 and the flexible jolnts 13, the cars may haveconsiderable relative movement without straining the train pipes or thecoupling members. The socket member comprises a cylindrical portion 14and a conical portion 15 secured together in axlal alinement. Theportion 1 1 is tubular, having alongitudinal bore 16, and into one endthereof is threaded the end of the plpe 8 as clearly shown in Fig. 1.The diameter of the portion 14 is, considerably greater than that of thepipe 8 to form a thrust bearlng the valve 21;

17 for one end of the spring 11, and to this end the end of the portion14 is preferably provided with an inwardly extending annular flange 18constituting a head into which the pipe 8 is threaded. The opposite endof the portion 14 is reduced in diameter and threaded as at 19 toreceive the end of the terminates in an abrupt shoulder 25 to receive anannular hard rubber or fiber gasket 26, the inner face of whichconstitutes a conical valve seat 27 for the valve 21. The bore of theportion 15 continues for a short distance with a much reduced diameteras at 28, and then flares outwardly forming'a conical portion 29. .Theinner end of the portion 29 is provided with an annular recess 30inwhich is arranged a hard rubber or fiber member 31 having asubstantially hemispherical seat 32 which forms the socket proper toreceive the ball member. Arranged about the valve stem 22 and interposedbetween the valve and the guide 23 is a spring 33 which tends to keepthe valve normally seated against the valve seat 27.

The valve 21 is provided with a large-peripheral passage way 34 which isclosed by the valve seat when the valve is resting against the same, andalso with a smallpassage way 35, the end of which is within or nearerthe center than the inner end of the gasket in order to permit passageof air or steam therethrough at all times even when the valve is closed.

The ball member 7 of the coupling comprises a cylindrical portion 36 andthe ball portion proper 37. The portion 36 is substantially the same asthe portion 14 one end being reduced and threaded as at 38 to receivethe ball portion, and the other end being provided with an inwardlyextending flange 39 which is threaded to receive the end of the pi e 9,and forming a thrust surface 40 for t e spring 11. The ball portion 37is provided with a smooth outer surface to fit snugly against and workfreely on the surface 32 of the member 31 forming a tightv joint. Theportion 37 is formed with a, bore 41 WlllCh is reduced in diameter atits outer end as at 42 forming an abrupt shoulder at '43 to receive anannular member 44 formed of hard rubber or fiber and constituting a thebore constituting a valve chamber. In-

The portion 24 of the bore.

terposed between the valve 45 and a guide 46 is a spring 47 which servesto normally hold the valve on the valve seat.

48 indicates the valve stem working freely in the guide-46 and 49 and 50passage ways or ports through the valve similar in all re spccts to theports 34 and 35 of the valve 21.

It is obvious that when the coupling members are separated the valveswill be maintained in closed position by their respective springs.Suitable means are provided for automatically opening of the valves asthe parts are coupled. To this end the valves are provided or formedwith axially extending pins 51 and 52 respectively which enga e when theparts are coupled and are of su cient length to unseat both valves. Toinsure properly holding the valves in open positio'nfthe spring 47 ismade considerably stronger than the spring 33, thereby holding the valve21 firmly against the stop 20. WVhen the coupling members are separatedeither by accidental or intentional separation of the cars, the valvesare immediately closed by their respective springs, but the air ispermitted to escape slowly from the train pipes through the passages 35and 50.

In this way the brakes are prevented from being thrown suddenly but willbe applied gradually, thus avoiding all undue shocks.

In Figs. 3 and 4, I have illustrated a modified formof socket memberadapted to be used with a ball member such as illustrated in thepreceding form. The chief difference in this form over the preceding isin the ball seat and the conical guide portion, the former being greaterthan a hemisphere to more fully surround the ball, and the latter beingexpansible to permit seating and unseating of the ball. In this form theportion 14 is identical with that previously described as is also thevalve 21. Threaded upon the re duced end 19 is an extension 53 which ispreferably cylindrical and is provided with the valve chamber 24 and thevalve seat 26. The, outer end of the member 53 is provided with aconical seat 54 to receive a hard rubber or fiber annular member 55, thelatter be- I ing formed with a semi-cylindrical seat 56 for theballmember. The conical guide portion is formed of a plurality ofsegmental sections 57 which are hingedly connected at their apex to themember 53. To this end each segment is provided with a hinge lug with acircumferential groove'63 in which is arranged an annular spiral spring64 which tends to normally hold the device in con.-

said valves as said members are coupled, each of said valves beingrovided with a minute I passage way adapte to remain open at all 15Having described my invention what I times substantially as described. 5claim as new and desire to secure by Letters In testimony whereof I havesigned my Patent is: name to this specification in the presence of Aktrain gipe coupling comprising abball l two subscribing witnesses. memer an a socket member, in com ination with valves arranged in saidmembers, FRED; HARPSTER' 10 means for normally holding said valves in JWitnesses:

' closed position when said members are sepa- CHRIST L. SCHIMFF,

rated and means for automatically opening JOHN EDWARD STHORE.

tracted position but ermits expansion of the same to allow the ba 1 topass-the contracted portion 62.

